We proved here that \(f\) right-sided and left-sided limits vanish at all points. Therefore \(\limsup\limits_{x \to a} f(x) \le f(a)\) at every point \(a\) which proves that \(f\) is upper semi-continuous on \(\mathbb R\). However \(f\) is continuous at all \(a \in \mathbb R \setminus \mathbb Q\) and discontinuous at all \(a \in \mathbb Q\).

The fundamental theorem of calculus asserts that for a continuous real-valued function \(f\) defined on a closed interval \([a,b]\), the function \(F\) defined for all \(x \in [a,b]\) by
\[F(x)=\int _{a}^{x}\!f(t)\,dt\] is uniformly continuous on \([a,b]\), differentiable on the open interval \((a,b)\) and \[
F^\prime(x) = f(x)\]
for all \(x \in (a,b)\).

The converse of fundamental theorem of calculus is not true as we see below.

\(f\) is continuous on the compact interval \([0,1]\). Hence \(f\) is uniform continuous on that interval according to Heine-Cantor theorem. For a direct proof, one can verify that for \(\epsilon > 0\), one have \(\vert \sqrt{x} – \sqrt{y} \vert \le \epsilon\) for \(\vert x – y \vert \le \epsilon^2\).

\(f_n\) main properties

\(f_n\) is a rational function whose denominator doesn’t vanish. Hence \(f_n\) is indefinitely differentiable. As \(f_n\) is an even function, we can study it only on \([0,\infty)\).

We have \[
f_n^\prime(x)= 2n^2x \frac{1-n^4x^4}{(1+n^4 x^4)^2}.\] \(f_n^\prime\) vanishes at zero (like \(f_n\)) is positive on \((0,\frac{1}{n})\), vanishes at \(\frac{1}{n}\) and is negative on \((\frac{1}{n},\infty)\). Hence \(f_n\) has a maximum at \(\frac{1}{n}\) with \(f_n(\frac{1}{n}) = \frac{1}{2}\) and \(0 \le f_n(x) \le \frac{1}{2}\) for all \(x \in \mathbb R\).

\((g_n)\) converges pointwise to zero

First, one can notice that \(g_n\) is well defined. For \(x \in \mathbb R\) and \(p \in \mathbb N\) we have \(0 \le \frac{1}{2^p} f_n(x-a_p) \le \frac{1}{2^p} \cdot\ \frac{1}{2}=\frac{1}{2^{p+1}}\) according to previous paragraph. Therefore the series of functions \(\sum \frac{1}{2^p} f_n(x-a_p)\) is normally convergent. \(g_n\) is also continuous as for all \(p \in \mathbb N\) \(x \mapsto \frac{1}{2^p} f_n(x-a_p)\) is continuous. Continue reading Pointwise convergence not uniform on any interval→

Let’s recall that a real function \(f: \mathbb R \to \mathbb R\) is called convex if for all \(x, y \in \mathbb R\) and \(\lambda \in [0,1]\) we have \[
f((1- \lambda) x + \lambda y) \le (1- \lambda) f(x) + \lambda f(y)\] \(f\) is called midpoint convex if for all \(x, y \in \mathbb R\) \[
f \left(\frac{x+y}{2}\right) \le \frac{f(x)+f(y)}{2}\] One can prove that a continuous midpoint convex function is convex. Sierpinski proved the stronger theorem, that a real-valued Lebesgue measurable function that is midpoint convex will be convex.

Can one find a discontinuous midpoint convex function? The answer is positive but requires the Axiom of Choice. Why? Because Robert M. Solovay constructed a model of Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory (ZF), exclusive of the axiom of choice where all functions are Lebesgue measurable. Hence convex according to Sierpinski theorem. And one knows that convex functions defined on \(\mathbb R\) are continuous.

Referring to my previous article on the existence of discontinuous additive map, let’s use a Hamel basis \(\mathcal B = (b_i)_{i \in I}\) of \(\mathbb R\) considered as a vector space on \(\mathbb Q\). Take \(i_1 \in I\), define \(f(i_1)=1\) and \(f(i)=0\) for \(i \in I\setminus \{i_1\}\) and extend \(f\) linearly on \(\mathbb R\). \(f\) is midpoint convex as it is linear. As the image of \(\mathbb R\) under \(f\) is \(\mathbb Q\), \(f\) is discontinuous as explained in the discontinuous additive map counterexample.

A function \(f\) defined on \(\mathbb R\) into \(\mathbb R\) is said to be additive if and only if for all \(x, y \in \mathbb R\)
\[f(x+y) = f(x) + f(y).\] If \(f\) is supposed to be continuous at zero, \(f\) must have the form \(f(x)=cx\) where \(c=f(1)\). This can be shown using following steps:

As \(f(-x) = -f(x)\) for all \(x \in\mathbb R\), we get that for all rational number \(\frac{p}{q} \in \mathbb Q\), \(f(\frac{p}{q})=f(1)\frac{p}{q}\).

The equality \(f(x+y) = f(x) + f(y)\) implies that \(f\) is continuous on \(\mathbb R\) if it is continuous at \(0\).

We can finally conclude to \(f(x)=cx\) for all real \(x \in \mathbb R\) as the rational numbers are dense in \(\mathbb R\).

We’ll use a Hamel basis to construct a discontinuous linear function. The set \(\mathbb R\) can be endowed with a vector space structure over \(\mathbb Q\) using the standard addition and the multiplication by a rational for the scalar multiplication.

Using the axiom of choice, one can find a (Hamel) basis \(\mathcal B = (b_i)_{i \in I}\) of \(\mathbb R\) over \(\mathbb Q\). That means that every real number \(x\) is a unique linear combination of elements of \(\mathcal B\): \[
x= q_1 b_{i_1} + \dots + q_n b_{i_n}\] with rational coefficients \(q_1, \dots, q_n\). The function \(f\) is then defined as \[
f(x) = q_1 + \dots + q_n.\] The linearity of \(f\) follows from its definition. \(f\) is not continuous as it only takes rational values which are not all equal. And one knows that the image of \(\mathbb R\) under a continuous map is an interval.

In that article, I provided an example of a continuous function with divergent Fourier series. We prove here the existence of such a function using Banach-Steinhaus theorem, also called uniform boundedness principle.

According to the extreme value theorem, a continuous real-valued function \(f\) in the closed and bounded interval \([a,b]\) must attain a maximum and a minimum, each at least once.

Let’s see what can happen for non-continuous functions. We consider below maps defined on \([0,1]\).

First let’s look at \[
f(x)=\begin{cases}
x &\text{ if } x \in (0,1)\\
1/2 &\text{otherwise}
\end{cases}\] \(f\) is bounded on \([0,1]\), continuous on the interval \((0,1)\) but neither at \(0\) nor at \(1\). The infimum of \(f\) is \(0\), its supremum \(1\), and \(f\) doesn’t attain those values. However, for \(0 < a < b < 1\), \(f\) attains its supremum and infimum on \([a,b]\) as \(f\) is continuous on this interval.

Bounded function that doesn’t attain its infimum and supremum on all \([a,b] \subseteq [0,1]\)

The function \(g\) defined on \([0,1]\) by \[
g(x)=\begin{cases}
0 & \text{ if } x \notin \mathbb Q \text{ or if } x = 0\\
\frac{(-1)^q (q-1)}{q} & \text{ if } x = \frac{p}{q} \neq 0 \text{, with } p, q \text{ relatively prime}
\end{cases}\] is bounded, as for \(x \in \mathbb Q \cap [0,1]\) we have \[
\left\vert g(x) \right\vert < 1.\] Hence \(g\) takes values in the interval \([-1,1]\). We prove that the infimum of \(g\) is \(-1\) and its supremum \(1\) on all intervals \([a,b]\) with \(0 < a < b <1\). Consider \(\varepsilon > 0\) and an odd prime \(q\) such that \[
q > \max(\frac{1}{\varepsilon}, \frac{1}{b-a}).\] This is possible as there are infinitely many prime numbers. By the pigeonhole principle and as \(0 < \frac{1}{q} < b-a\), there exists a natural number \(p\) such that \(\frac{p}{q} \in (a,b)\). We have \[
-1 < g \left(\frac{p}{q} \right) = \frac{(-1)^q (q-1)}{q} = - \frac{q-1}{q} \frac{1}{\varepsilon}\). This proves that the infimum of \(g\) is \(-1\). By similar arguments, one can prove that the supremum of \(g\) on \([a,b]\) is \(1\).

We will prove below that for all \(n,m \in \mathbb N\) we have \(\sigma_{m,m} \ge \frac{1}{2} \ln m\) and \(\sigma_{n,m} \ge 0\). Assuming those inequalities for now, we get:\[
S_{2^{p^3-1}} \ge \frac{1}{p^2} \sigma_{2^{p^3-1},2^{p^3-1}} \ge \frac{1}{2p^2} \ln(2^{p^3-1}) = \frac{p^3-1}{2p^2} \ln 2\]
As the right hand side diverges to \(\infty\), we can conclude that \((S_n)\) diverges and consequently that the Fourier series of \(f\) diverges at \(0\). Continue reading A continuous function with divergent Fourier series→